They sat beneath the great vaulted ceiling of St Paul’s Cathedral to remember a man described as an adventurer,a lover of the arts and an inquirer who enjoyed travelling and revelled in the magnificence of sunrises and sunsets.

The fulcrum of Crean’s life,it was agreed,was his family.

His wife Carole spoke of meeting Crean at a tennis club when she was 15 and he 17. Within five years they were married,and,over 55 years,she never tired of his enthusiasm for exploring Australia and the world,of his curiosity about almost everything and their shared love of debate.

She spoke of her husband’s love of the outdoors and told of his insistence on travelling to remote Lake Tyrrell in north-western Victoria and trekking through the dark to witness the wonder of the night sky,the galaxies and shooting stars reflected in the lake.

She spoke,too,of her pride that Crean – who famouslyopposed the invasion of Iraq in 2003 – was prepared to jeopardise his political future for the greater good.

Crean’s daughter Sarah said her father made people everywhere feel special and heard,and he had granted her the gift of empathy.

Though he had gone too early,Sarah said he had already left something of himself in his baby grandson,her son Cosmo.

Crean’s other daughter,Emma,read a poem she wrote for her father:“A man with the strength to dream … Seeking truth helping all he can,through adventure,leadership and hard work,one soul,a soul we all knew.”

Crean’s brother David,a doctor and former Tasmanian state parliamentarian,recalled their childhood,with older brother Stephen,who perished at Thredbo in 1985,growing up around politics. Their father Frank was a long-time Labor MP who became treasurer in Gough Whitlam’s government.

“Our mother never wanted any of the boys to enter politics;she thought it was too brutal,” he said.

Crean,however,made it clear early he wanted to be involved in the Labor movement.

Shortly before Crean died,he and David travelled together to Ireland and Scotland,tracing their family history.

“Our love for each other and our special bond over 72 years together,with all our treasured memories,was there,” he said.

“We were on a tight budget,and like we’ve done many times before,we shared the twin room.

“I was lucky to do that trip,and I’ll cherish it forever.”

Albanese said Crean “often greeted the world with a crinkle-eyed geniality – an apt introduction to this man of decency,kindness and boundless generosity”.

“We are here to mourn a great Australian who served his country and his community with humility and compassion,with integrity and intellect,” Albanese said. “A beloved son of the Australian Labor Party whose personal qualities earned him a respect that knew no political boundaries.”

A transfixing moment came early in the funeral service.

The haunting voices of the late Aboriginal singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu,accompanied by singer-songwriter Paul Kelly,filled the cathedral with an affecting version ofAmazing Grace.

Crean,we might imagine,would have approved.

As arts minister,one of his last acts as a parliamentarian in 2013 was to launch Labor’s cultural policy,Creative Australia,which included ambitious upgrades to Indigenous art support.

“Simon always believed culture defines us,” Carole told mourners,adding that he always celebrated that Australia had the oldest continuous culture on Earth,as well as the most diverse.

“Carole,” said the prime minister,addressing Crean’s wife. “The glow of the great love between you will never fade from your heart. We wrap you and all your family in our thoughts today.”

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